


Kindred Spirit

by HariWrites



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Ghost Hunters, Halloween, Haunting, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Spooky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 16:31:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21256352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HariWrites/pseuds/HariWrites
Summary: Alya has permission to spend Halloween night in a haunted hotel with her friends, where she plans to live stream the events for her vlog.What could possibly go wrong?!





	Kindred Spirit

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kellarhi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kellarhi/gifts).

> Happy Halloween! I was so chuffed to be matched with the gorgeous [Kellarhi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kellarhi/pseuds/Kellarhi) for our Spooky Santa gift exchange and I hope this tale is MariChat-y and Halloweenie enough for her. She's excellent, go read her stuff.
> 
> A million thanks to [MiniMinou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniMinou/pseuds/MiniMinou) for whipping this story into shape <3
> 
> Enjoy!

The building was on Rue des Chantres, on the banks of the Seine. According to Sabrina, in the 1900s, it was an annexe of the Hôtel-Dieu hospital on Île de la Cité. One night, there was a huge storm and the river broke its banks. The hospital flooded and many patients perished. If Alix and Kim were to be believed, their ghosts still wandered the hallways and the street behind it. Chloé’s father had purchased the building and was converting it into a boutique hotel. André Bourgeois agreed with Alya that the publicity would be beneficial for the fledgeling business and he was happy to lean into the building’s haunted reputation if she could prove there was something to exploit.

Alya wasn’t sure that she believed any of it, but it was an interesting story and it would make the perfect setting for the Halloween special of her vlog. Nino refused to come with her (“I’ve watched enough scary movies to know that haunted houses don’t work out well for guys like me.”) and Mylene almost cried at the mere suggestion. Juleka immediately agreed to come, Rose was less sure but she wanted to be near her girlfriend so she was in, too. Alya didn’t give Marinette a choice.

“Girl, I need you there,” Alya reasoned. “You’re my always my wing-woman in these videos, why should the spooky factor change that?”

“Because of the spooky factor, Al. I’m not brave.”

“Which makes for great footage. Please? I don’t want to go without you.”

Marinette sighed. “Have you considered not going?”

“Nope.”

“Fine. If I get haunted, I’m blaming you.”

That night, as the orange glow in the sky finally faded to deep blue and the sun disappeared behind the skyline, the four girls entered the building. Armed with their phones, an infrared camera, a box of snacks from Tom and Sabine, blankets and a healthy level of skepticism, they prepared themselves for the night ahead.

Most of the rooms were bare shells of concrete and plasterboard, but a few were more complete so they set up in one of those. The carpets were thick and comfortable and the smell of fresh paint hung only lightly in the air. Marinette laid out blankets and spread out the picnic while Alya set up her camera. Juleka and Rose placed battery-powered storm lanterns around the room until the space felt quite cosy.

“Yo peeps, Alya here. I’m live in one of the most haunted buildings in Paris with some of my girl squad and we’re here to see if the rumours are true. You know that I’m a cynic, but my girls here are a little more open-minded than I am so maybe we’ll have something to report back. Otherwise, we’ll be here, talking about ghosts and the history of this fascinating building.” She panned her phone around the room and her friends waved at her in turn “Tell me, girls, do you believe in ghosts?”

“Yes,” Juleka murmured. 

“I want to,” Rose said earnestly.

“Have you guys heard the Stone Tape theory?” Alya asked once they were all settled in a circle. The other three heads shook. “Well, there is a concept that ghosts are almost like a recording of energy or a heightened emotion in a moment in time, locked into the walls of buildings. The ghosts we see are those energies replaying in a loop. That’s why most reports of hauntings are of a figure ignoring the people there, or why they sometimes walk through a wall.”

Rose’s eyes grew wide. Marinette snorted derisively.

Juleka ignored them both. “That makes sense. As though certain buildings or objects contain memories of experiences in the past that replay when the conditions are right.”

Alya hoped those conditions were right tonight. If this stream got enough attention, she might get a sponsor for her channel that allowed her to do more of these videos. 

“I heard that spoken words leave an imprint in the air around them that can continue to echo throughout time,” Rose said. "Which is really sad if you think about it. Ghosts are trapped in an endless cycle, unable to really communicate with the people who now live in their world."

“Marinette? You’re quiet. What do you think?”

She paused thoughtfully. “I don’t know. My instinct says there’s no such thing as ghosts or spirits. If there are, why aren’t more places haunted? People die in all kinds of places at all times of day, yet people only see them at night, in spooky places.”

“But?”

“But, if this past year or so has taught me anything, it’s that nothing is impossible. I guess I’m unconvinced but not closed-minded.”

Alya looked down the lens. “That’s a good answer. What do you guys at home think? Ghosts? Are they real? Let us know in the comments. Now girls, have any of you ever seen a ghost?”

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Adrien was meant to be studying. Gabriel was not interested in Halloween festivities and certainly wasn’t going to let Adrien indulge in them when there was homework to be done. Technically, Adrien was working on his history assignment on the Great Flood of Paris; the building the girls were exploring was one of the casualties of that flood. Actually, he wanted to watch the stream to ensure they stayed safe. 

Alya hadn’t even invited him. She knew his father would never let him stay in what was essentially a construction site, even before finding out it was meant to be haunted. He wished he was there,even though it was probably due to some kind of misplaced chivalry－he knew the girls could look after themselves. He remembered the time poor Mylene was transformed into Horrificator, Alya, Juleka and Rose held their own in a scary situation. Only Marinette was absent then, but he knew she was calm in a crisis.

Adrien felt his cheeks warm as he thought of the times he tried to save Marinette as Chat Noir, only to be reassured that she was not a damsel in distress. 

On the screen, Rose was telling the group about the time she went to Père Lachaise cemetery to pay her respects to Jim Morrison at dusk. She claimed there was a figure by the grave, admiring the flowers and graffiti, but when she got closer, it disappeared. The girls ‘ooh’ed while Alya sang the theme from Twilight Zone.

At the side of the screen, live comments popped up. Some were sharing their own ghost sighting stories, several more from the same cemetery. One or two were warning the girls that their presence might anger the spirits, telling them to protect themselves, others were mocking them for their credulity. Overall, people seemed to think the video had been anticlimactic so far. For his part, Adrien hoped it stayed that way. He, like Marinette, wasn’t sure of his opinion on the existence of ghosts, but two years ago he didn’t believe in cantankerous cheese-eating demi-gods so he was open to anything.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“What was that?” Marinette was on her feet, lantern in hand before the sound registered in Alya’s ears. 

It sounded like a door slamming down the corridor. The building was still partially a construction site, draughts were likely and doors might be blown shut. Except that she hadn’t seen any doors on her way in. They were yet to be hung.

Juleka and Rose were clinging to each other in fright, Rose’s eyes two fear-filled saucers. Alya had brought her friends here, it was up to her to calm them down.

“I’ll go check,” she sighed.

“I’m coming with you,” Marinette announced, her voice quavering.

Alya grabbed a second lantern with one hand, her other still clutching her phone. She led the way into the hall and swung the light towards either end. Dark, empty doorways greeted her on each side. 

Shewondered if someone could be messing with them, but who? Chloe? She knew if she suggested it to Marinette, her mind would jump to Lila. She was always so suspicious of that girl. 

“Security locked us inside, there shouldn’t be anyone else here.” Alya frowned. It definitely sounded like a door had slammed nearby but her observation had been right, there were none. “Maybe something fell over upstairs?”

“Yeah.” Marinette nodded. “That must be it.”

“Let’s go back to the room. We probably freaked ourselves out with all the spooky stories.”

Alya looked at her friend’s pale face staring back at her and wondered if she looked as scared as Marinette did right now. When the pair locked eyes, both of them dissolved into giggles. The tension of the situation lifted and they were each struck by the ridiculousness of their fright. Alya felt wave after wave of laughter flow over her until her side hurt from the exertion.

Finally, with a long exhalation through her nose, Alya felt ready to venture back into the room. Marinette was still chuckling.

“False alarm,” she announced.

Juleka and Rose visibly relaxed. Marinette sat back in her spot and grabbed a piece of quiche. Alya turned her attention back to her phone screen and read some of the comments aloud. The others’ reactions to the viewers’ opinions would be fun content. 

“You guys, Sk8rAlix says ‘this is the Ghostbusters remake we all deserved.’ and Ki-”

A shrill sound cut across her and they all jumped.

“What was that?!” Juleka asked.

Rose trembled. “Was that a scream?” 

“It was probably an owl,” Marinette reasoned but Rose was unconvinced.

“In Paris?”

Alya shrugged. “Maybe it’s Mr Damocles.”

Marinette guffawed and once more, the tension dissipated. Then, at once, all the lanterns went out. Immersed in darkness, Alya heard Juleka console a sobbing Rose. Marinette was whispering to herself and scuffling with something at the side of the room.

Rose yelped. “Somebody tugged on my arm!”

“That was me,” Juleka muttered. “Sorry.”

With a thunk and flicker, a single light returned. Marinette had replaced the batteries in one of the lanterns. Of course she had spares, she was the most practical person Alya knew. Relief and gratitude washed over her, draining away the terror. 

“Uh, you guys.” Marinette was staring at a spot just in front of Alya. “Who ate the macarons?”

Alya’s gaze travelled down to the empty plate on the rug between them The plate that, minutes ago, was half-full of pink macarons. Macarons that were definitely there in the seconds before the lights went out.

Gears ground in her brain, failing to make the connections they needed to make sense of this. Panic rose in her stomach and she felt nauseated. What if this ghost stuff was real? 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

The comments had been scrolling slowly to start with, now they were flickering up the side of the screen too quickly to read. Half were incredulous, suggesting that Alya had staged the whole thing, the rest were urging the girls to get out.

Adrien was on his feet now, nose close to his monitor, watching for any sign of trouble. Plagg was circling above him, grumping about reckless teenagers and something to do with sugar cubes. He wanted to transform and rush to the rescue but so far, he wasn’t sure there was anything to rescue them from. Aside from the disappearing macarons, everything else was explainable. If that plate had been full of cheese, Adrien would have been able to debunk that, too.

What did Ladybug’s kwami like to eat?

If he was allowing himself to be sidelined with questions like that, Adrien reasoned that he wasn’t as worried about the girls’ safety as he first thought. He found his chair with his foot and dragged it back underneath him, sitting down. His eyes never left the screen.

“Did you hear that?” Plagg cried, digging his claws into Adrien’s shoulder.

“Ouch! Hear what?”

“That noise. A child laughed.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. Plagg only thought he was funny. He turned his head to tell him so but when he saw the fear and concern on his tiny furry face, the words caught in his throat. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

Plagg’s head bobbed and his ears twitched. The hairs on the back of Adrien’s neck stood to attention. 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Hello? Is someone there?” Alya was back in the corridor, questioning her every decision.

It was cold now, a sudden chill was making her shiver. The further she got up the hallway, the cooler it felt. She could almost see her breath in the air.

“Anything?” Marinette called out from the opposite end of the floor. In the light of the lantern, her eyes shone and Alya wondered if she was as close to tears as she was.

“Nothing. I think the noise was in our heads.”

“Okay, let’s get back to...”

“What?”

“It… Somebody whispered in my ear.”

“Come on, Mari, it’s not funny.”

“Alya, trust me when I say I know when floating voices are disembodied and this was not attached to a living being. Why would I make it up?”

“Fine, let’s get back to the others.”

If Marinette looked pale earlier in the evening, she had now bottomed out on the Procol Harum spectrum. She was like a greyscale image of herself, frozen in the doorway. When Alya reached her, she found out why.

There, between the other two lanterns, where Rose and Juleka were previously huddled together, was nothing. The pair had vanished.

When Alya turned, gawping, to check the hallway, she heard it again. The giggle.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

_ I sense an ethereal longing, a spirit seeking substance. They want to be noticed, desire to be listened to. I will give them the voice and the body they need to make themselves heard. In return, they will summon Ladybug and Chat Noir and deliver their Miraculouses to me. Fly away my little akuma and evilize this ghost. _

_ Kindred Spirit, I am Hawk Moth. I sense your need to talk to your peers so I am giving you the ability to communicate with these visitors to your home. If you are successful, you might draw other young people to you. All I ask in return is that you bring me the jewellery of the black cat and the ladybug. Do this and I will let you recapture the youth so unkindly taken from you. _

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

The comments scrolled past him but he wasn’t reading. 

WTF?  
Where did those girls go?  
Yo is Marinette talking to a ghost?  
I heard that one! Scary!  
I call BS. This is set up  
Who is the dark-haired one talking to?  
Those girls just disappeared, man! Where are they?!  
That one is speaking to nothing.  
A gHOst!!!!

Now that Juleka and Rose had disappeared, he was back on his feet, leaning into the screen, watching for signs that Marinette and Alya were really in trouble. 

Alya was addressing her viewers, recapping the preceding events and asking for suggestions for what might have caused the disturbances. In the background, it did look like Marinette was in conversation with an empty space. Odd. It almost looked like she mouthed the word ‘tipi’ or ‘teehee’. ‘Tai chi’? 

Then, she looked past that spot and screamed. Alya’s camera swung sickeningly to the source. 

_ “Play with me.” _

She almost looked like an ice sculpture; glowing white and diaphanous, a girl of no more than ten years old floated towards them, arms outstretched. Her face was peaceful, smiling gently. Around her eyes, a purplish glow formed a familiar shape.

Hawk Moth.

He banged his fist against the desk and his monitors jolted. It was bad enough that Hawk Moth was prepared to akumatise children, but ghosts? Worse, a ghost child. What was wrong with that guy?

Adrien turned to Plagg, expecting a smart comment, perhaps a pithy pun. Instead, he nodded curtly. This was serious.

“Plagg? Claws out.”

He leapt across the Seine and catapulted himself from the roof of Notre Dame to the hotel building. The windows on the topmost floor were missing so he let himself in and rushed towards the stairwell. Bounding down, two steps at a time, he found the floor easily. As soon as he reached the right level, the temperature dropped several degrees. He shivered as he stepped into the hallway.

“Alya? Marinette?” He called out.

“Chat Noir?! We’re here!” Alya’s voice was higher than usual, it quavered.

He followed the sound until he found them, huddled together in the farthest room from the stairs. It was pitch black (thank the tiny gods for night vision). The ghost-akuma was nowhere to be seen. 

Reading his mind, Marinette explained. “She was coming towards us when there was a noise underneath us and she sunk through the floor.”

“Where’s Ladybug?” Alya asked. Adrien thought he saw Marinette flinch.

“She’s not here yet.” He was answering Alya but he was looking directly at Marinette. Something about her body language was off. “Have you been filming the whole time?”

“She won’t put the camera away,” Marinette said imploringly. “And we’ve been sticking together for safety.”

Weird. She seemed almost annoyed at Alya for that. Sticking together was wise and he knew Marinette well enough to know that her friends’ safety was her priority. 

“We tried to find our friends but the lanterns went out again and we couldn’t see a thing.” Alya added.

“We’ll find them, don’t worry.”

Marinette turned towards him “Hey, Chat? You realise we’re still in darkness, right? Some of us don’t have night vision,” 

That triggered a memory. Another time when those exact words were spoken. The imprint those words left was indelible because they were uttered by… He replayed the moments before he transformed in slow motion in his head. Before the scream, Marinette was talking to someone or something invisible. Someone who didn’t show up on video. 

Tikki.

She said the word Tikki. Ladybug’s kwami.

“Chat Noir? Hello?” He jumped when Alya waved her hand in front of his eyes. He had zoned out, stunned by the notion. 

He held out his hand to Marinette as a grin spread over his face. “No need to bug out. Just trust me.” 

He heard her gasp, saw her eyes widen, felt her grip tighten on his hand. 

Alya, meanwhile was oblivious. “If you could stop flirting with my friend for a minute and help us, that would be great.”

“Well, do you have any more batteries or a torch? I can lead you back to the other room?”

“Were you watching our live stream?” Alya’s tone was gloating. 

“Of course I was.” He reached out and grabbed Alya’s free hand. “Although, I didn’t have to watch to know how resourceful Marinette is. She’s prepared for anything.”

“Not this,” Marinette muttered under her breath. 

Adrien stifled a snigger. After such a revelation, it wouldn’t do to antagonise her. They shuffled their way through the deserted corridor to the girls’ base. One of the lanterns was still lit, Alya broke away from their chain and grabbed it. Marinette was still holding his hand with both of hers.

“Princess? Do you have another light with you? I’m happy to be your guide but I know how independent you can be.”

“Oh, right. Sorry kitty, uh Chat. Alya? Can you shine your light over here?”

He suddenly felt cold again when she left his side. It was less to do with hauntings and more to do with her warmth. Under his concern for all of their safety and alertness to the latest akuma threat, his heart was doing backflips. Had he found his Lady? He was sure he had, but how to confirm it?

Banging from the floor above halted his train of thought. It was followed by a laugh, louder and clearer than before. Alya’s lantern flickered. They all froze.

“How’s your phone battery?” Marinette asked Alya. Adrien heard the hopeful tone, she wanted the power to run out.

“50%. We’re all good.”

“Great.” Disappointment dripped from the word.

Remembering that he was the only superhero in uniform on the scene, Adrien tried to take charge. “We have two main tasks as I see it. Finding Rose and Juleka, and stopping the akuma.”

“How are we going to do that without Ladybug?” Alya asked. “There’s still no sign of her.”

“Quite,” he replied.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

There was no way to escape. She was live on video, part of this whole thing. If she left now, it would only raise suspicion, especially if, moments later, Ladybug arrived. She and Tikki discussed it before the akuma turned up, it was too risky. Chat would have to capture the akuma so she could purify it later.

Chat Noir knew, she could tell. If he didn’t deal with the goofy, dreamy expression on his face, everyone watching would soon know, too. She needed to speak to him but Alya refused to stop streaming. 

She turned the handle of her emergency torch vigorously. Her grandfather insisted that a wind-up torch would come in handy one day, he was right. Soon, its dim light grew stronger.

“I must say, this has been an illuminating evening so far. In so many ways.” Chat grinned. Marinette resisted the urge to throw her torch at him.

“I have an idea,” she said. “We each stand at a different point along the corridor and call out. I think she’s lonely, she wants to talk to us. Play with us. Let’s do that. If we can draw her towards one of us, the other can go find Juleka and Rose.”

Alya swallowed audibly. “Agreed.”

“I’ll stay between you. That way, I can come to the aid of whoever needs me most.” Chat nodded.

Marinette took her place nearest the stairwell and Alya stood by the window at the far end of the hallway. In between them, Chat stood, ready for action. Above them, eerie laugher tinkled through the floorboards and echoed against the walls. She shivered in the frosty air.

“Do you have any idea how to release this akuma, Chaton?” She whispered. Alya couldn’t hear her voice, but someone with super-hearing and cat ears could.

He turned to face her and shrugged. At first, she thought he was pretending to lasso something but she realised, he was miming summoning her Lucky Charm. She shook her head,mouthing ‘how?’ and he tapped his ears.

“Chat, I love you, but you’re terrible at Charades. What are you trying to say?” In her frustration, it was a struggle to keep her voice down.

“You love me?!”

Alya whirled around. “Who loves you?”

Marinette groaned and buried her head in her hands. Why was he such a goofball? She did love him, not like he loved her (Ladybug, not Marinette. Did he still love her now that he knew her true identity? Why did that concern her so much?) but she put her life in his hands on a regular basis, of course she did! Trust and friendship had led to love and respect. How to explain that now that they had Alya’s attention, though?

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Chat Noir was being weird. Weirder than normal. From the moment he found them, he’d been a strange combination of smug, shocked and miles away. Were the ghosts affecting him? She’d read that animals are more susceptible to spirits than people. He was blushing from his bell to the base of his ears. A pink beacon, glowing in the centre of the corridor. At least Alya, with her lantern, phone and red hair was no longer the most conspicuous person in the dim light. 

“Can we summon this thing and get the hell out of here, please?” She asked.

She wasn’t sure why she was so keen to call that ghost girl back, the commenters on her stream were certainly wondering. Where was Ladybug? Alya considered that tonight of all nights, when mischief simmered close to the surface all around the city, perhaps Hawk Moth had released more than one akuma. Ladybug might be dealing with a different disturbance. Did that mean she wasn’t coming? 

“We’re just finalising the plan,” Chat called back.

He and Marinette were deep in whispered conversation. Alya knew that Chat Noir had visited Marinette’s balcony a few times over the years, but they barely had any interaction beyond that so why were they suddenly so close? Why weren’t they including her?

She looked down at the screen of her phone, still broadcasting their adventure, and got her answer. The live stream. They didn’t want their plan to be heard by anyone else. Hawk Moth could be watching them in the same way Chat Noir had been. 

“Wait!” Marinette hissed, barely audible from the other side of the hotel. She darted back into the room and returned with a single cupcake on a paper plate. Vanilla icing was piled high above rich chocolate sponge. Alya’s mouth flooded with saliva and she understood what Marinette was going to do.

Marinette placed the plate on the ground between herself and Chat Noir. The pair exchanged a profound look and Alya wondered again what was going on with him. Marinette sat on the floor and crossed her legs.

“Ready?” Chat asked. Marinette nodded.

“Hello? Are you there? I have something for you.” They waited. Alya held her breath and tried to keep her phone steady. “I mean you no harm.”

Marinette was the only person she knew who could sound like she was genuinely concerned for an entity that had been haunting them all evening. Alya’s first thought was to swat the child away and run for it, while Marinette had listened, realizing what it needed.

The chill preceded its arrival, the ghostly laugh on its heels and the torched flickered again. When the little girl appeared, she did so via the stairs. Alya stumbled back at the sight of her. She was more solid than before, still glowing and otherworldly, but the gossamer appearance of her body had grown more substantial.

How?

_ “I want to play.” _

Marinette’s face was kind. “Come and sit with me. I have a cake, would you like it? You must be hungry.”

The girl nodded and moved closer to where Marinette sat. Now that Alya wasn’t in flight mode, she was able to study her more. The girl was barefooted, wearing only a smock-like nightdress. Her hair was messy and matted, like she hadn’t brushed it after a shower. Under her arm was a tatty, well-loved ragdoll. Marinette saw it, too.

“Is that your dolly? She’s pretty.” The girl nodded and drifted further down the hallway towards her.

Alya should leave. She should sneak away and try to find Rose and Julkea, but she was rooted to the spot by some force she could no longer explain. Watching the events unfold through her phone screen made her feel removed from the situation, giving her a false sense of safety. The comments section blew up as the child sat opposite Marinette and started to eat the cupcake. 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

The ghost wasn’t malicious, she was forgotten and lonely. Chat almost felt bad for what he had to do.

“Do you live here?” Marinette was asking. The little girl nodded. “Were you here when the flood came?” Her eyes shone with tears when the girl nodded again.

He feared as much. It didn’t make him sad, though, just more angry that Hawk Moth would use such a tortured and innocent soul for his own selfish needs. As soon as he was finished with her and she had given him the Miraculouses, Hawk Moth would have no qualms about removing his akuma and returning her to her fate. That was why they had to stop him, he didn’t care about his victims, only himself.

“What games do you like to play?” Marinette said.

The ghost tilted her head, thoughtful. _ “Play?” _

Marinette’s torch glowed, then dimmed. She ignored it. “Yes. You want to play. Do you like tea parties? I used to have them with my dollies.”

She smiled, nodding enthusiastically and Marinette’s torch died with a hiss. Behind him, Alya yelped as her lantern burned brightly for a second and went out. Instead of being immersed in darkness, the corridor was lit by the shining aura of the girl who grew more solid still.

“Energy! Ghosts feed on the energy around them, that’s why the torch batteries are running down!” Alya exclaimed. “Don’t turn any more lights on!”

That suited him just fine. He darted into the girls’ base and removed something from his pocket, setting them carefully on the floor before he released his transformation.

“Sorry Plagg, it’s only for a few minutes.” He dropped his ring into Marinette’s bag.

“I thought you said you weren’t cut out to be Ladybug,” Plagg said, but he was already helping himself to a slice of quiche so Adrien wasn’t too concerned.

“If you haven’t noticed, Plagg,” Tikki phased through the wall to join them. “We do have a situation to deal with.”

Plagg shrugged and stuffed more food into his mouth. Adrien put Ladybug’s earing on and looked to Tikki for reassurance. 

“It’s the only way, Adrien.”

“Okay, Tikki. Spots on.”

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

When her lantern had blown yet again, Alya had noticed a comment that was repeating all the way down the list. 

DJ Shelldon: SHE GETS STRONGER WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT

Alya had thought back to her research on the paranormal and remembered reading how often ghost hunters’ equipment failed because the batteries ran out. It was a eureka moment! She’d called out to the others, warning them not to try to find another source of light. 

Undeterred, Marinette continued to speak gently to the ghost girl, gaining her trust. “What is your name? Mine’s Marinette.”

_ “Élodie.” _The girl moved closer to Marinette, drawn to her warmth and kindness. Alya saw her friend trembling with cold or fear, either one was likely. Somewhere, she was aware of a faint glow of green lights, followed by pink in her peripheral vision. 

“Can I see your dolly?” Marinette held out her hand and Alya wondered when she last breathed properly. She felt like she might pass out. “What is she called?”

_ “Poppy. She’s Poppy.” _Élodie handed her ragdoll over to Marinette, who cradled it carefully in her arms.

“Are you upset that the hotel is being built here?”

Élodie shook her head. _ “More friends.” _

Every time she spoke, Alya’s phone battery lost power. She was down to 25% and the battery consumption warning popped up. Cancelling it, Alya saw the autofocus shift to a spot behind Marinette’s back. It looked like the cloth of her sweater moved but nothing was there. 

“I’m sorry Élodie,” Marinette half-sobbed. She ripped the doll in two and the ghost girl cried out. Almost immediately, she started to fade.

Alya noticed the butterfly as a yoyo flew out of a doorway and caught it. Instantly, it retracted in a flash of red. A white butterfly fluttered down the corridor and flew out through the stairwell. A voice too deep to be Ladybug’s called out.

“Miraculous Misterbug!”

The torn doll in Marinette’s hands fixed itself before fading into nothingness. A whisper echoed down the hallway like a gust of wind, _ “thank you.” _

The cupcake did not reappear. 

Alya dropped her phone and ran to Marinette, hugging her in relief. They had survived the craziest situation of their lives because of her and Alya would never forget it. 

“Do I get a hug?” Chat Noir asked, leaning against a doorway with a mischievous grin on his face.

“Bring it in,” Alya held out an arm and Chat Noir joined them.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

He passed the earrings back to Marinette during the group hug. She took them from him with a squeeze of his hand.

“What was that?” Marinette jumped back, startled.

“Oh no, not this again!”

Marinette held a finger to her lips. “Listen.”

“We’re in here! Can someone let us out?” Rose’s voice was muted but clear.

Chat and Alya ran to help Marinette shift planks of wood from a doorway. The girls had used floorboards to barricade themselves into the room and got stuck, Rose explained. When Alya and Marinette had left to check on the source of the noises, Juleka had decided to take the infrared camera to set it up in a suitable vantage spot. Then Marinette had screamed and they’d hidden.

The good news, according to Juleka, was that the camera had been recording the corridor for the duration of the akuma attack. The horror-struck look on Marinette’s face mirrored his own feelings on that. 

Did kwamis show up on infrared images?

While Alya fussed with her powerbank and prepared to interview the recently returned girls on their version of events, Chat pulled Marinette into another room. This one was empty except for a few rolls of underlay and carpeting. He perched on the pile of flooring, inviting her to join him.

“Thank you,” he began. “For trusting me with your Miraculous again.”

“Of course. I trust you with my life, Chaton.” She nudged his arm with her shoulder. “So, are you disappointed? That it’s me?”

He jumped to his feet. “No! Are you kidding? It’s amazing! I… I actually thought it might be you on a couple of occasions but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.”

Marinette’s shoulders dropped and she stood taller. He saw a weight lift from her. “What now?”

“You don’t know who I am.” He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. He was ready to reveal his identity, hopeful that she might be as pleased as he was with hers.

“No! I mean. Not here. Not now.”

He nodded his understanding and drew Marinette in for a hug. His Bugaboo was also his everyday Ladybug and he couldn’t be happier.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“That’s weird, look.” Alya pointed out the black blob that hovered near Marinette’s back at the moment her sweater moved. Juleka’s infrared footage had been mostly blurry and indistinguishable, but there was one shot that caught their attention. Plagg’s moment to shine.

“Yeah,” Marinette deadpanned. “It looks like a glitch. Dust, maybe?”

“Maybe,” Alya mused. “I’m so tired, I can’t make any rational guesses tonight.”

Marinette agreed. It was after four in the morning and every fibre of her body was crying out for sleep. Her nerves jangled with a restless exhaustion that she had never felt before. “Sleep first, debunk blobs later.”

“No arguments here.” Alya shook out her sleeping bag and settled down on the airbed. Marinette tried to get her to take the bed but Alya insisted. “It’s comfier than it looks.”

Marinette had just crawled under her own blankets when a sound above her changed her much anticipated plan to sleep for a hundred years. Two soft thuds followed by a light tapping on the trapdoor. She smiled and looked at where Alya was already passed out, she was safe to open the door and head out to the terrace. 

Outside, Chat was pacing. “When I said ‘not now’ I meant it, kitty. Don’t you ever sleep?”

“I tried. My brain won’t shut down. You said you love me.”

He stopped pacing and leaned on the railings, looking out towards the city. The pinkish glow of sunrise was starting to creep over the horizon. She went over to him and placed her hand over his glove one.

“I do love you Chat. It’s impossible to do what we do without the depth of trust and respect we have for each other. I consider you one of my best friends.”

His ears drooped and his tail slumped. “I see.”

“I don’t think you do. Friendship is a strong foundation for love and tonight proved that we’re an unstoppable team, no matter what.” She turned to face him. “Thank you for rescuing me tonight.”

She reached up on the tips of her toes and kissed his cheek. He touched his hand to the spot and blushed.

“My Lady…” He took her hand and brushed his lips over her knuckles, kissing them ever so gently. “I will always be there when you need me.”

With that, he climbed up on the railings, extended his baton and propelled himself across the rooftops until he was out of sight. Electricity fizzed up her arm from the place his lips touched. She felt her own cheeks heat. As she climbed back into her bed she sighed and giggled. Even when she did find out his true identity, she doubted she’d feel happier than she did right now.


End file.
